Saturday, August 21, 2004

"Now there's something you don't see everyday...."

So said my coach this morning after one of our quad sculls FLIPPED OVER in the river about 150 feet from the dock. The water was rough and the wind high, but juuuust on the edge of "Do we go? Or don't we?" and quads are big enough boats that they can usually handle the tougher stuff. You may get wet, but the chances of you getting into true dire straits are slim. Or so I thought. I was up on the dock, trying to sort out boat line-ups and I hear the phrase quoted above, look up, and see nothing but white hull shining up at me. I knew the women in the boat were OK because I could hear their laughter, and we had motorized launches and lifejackets out to them in under a minute, but damn if it didn't make for some crazy times on the river. After that, foolish souls that we are, we STILL tried to go out and give it a shot. I was in a double, no less--much smaller boat, much more prey to the caprices of Mother Nature. Needless to say my partner and I didn't get far before discretion overcame valor and we put back in to the dock. True rowing enthusiasts are like that, though--a bad day on the water is better than a good day on land, and we'll go out if there's any chance in hell that we'll get a good row in.

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